


Sundas, 17th of Last Seed, 4E 201

by Solarm of Hammerfell (oreopizza47)



Series: From The Journals Of Solarm Of Hammerfell [1]
Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Diary/Journal, Gen, Modded Skyrim
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-01-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:41:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22137985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oreopizza47/pseuds/Solarm%20of%20Hammerfell
Summary: Approaching Solitude, Solarm experiences a strange dream. Or perhaps a vision?
Series: From The Journals Of Solarm Of Hammerfell [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1593475





	Sundas, 17th of Last Seed, 4E 201

A strange omen befell me as I slept, a most vivid dream... or was it a dream? 

I found myself locked in a cell, stripped of all my possessions, even stripped of my armor, down to my underclothes. For a moment, I was frozen in time, left to contemplate my predicament within the bare cell. Surrounding me, signs of decay and disuse. A bookshelf, with two shelves broken and collapsed. A bed, with thin sheets, holes chewed through in several places by the scurrying rats that skittered in and out of the walls. A few empty tables, caked in dust so thick I could have cut a block out with a knife, had I had even that small reassurance with me. I felt the weight of years bearing down on me, surrounded as I was by the dank and dust. Not just the years of emptiness in the cell, but the years of my own life. I found myself cast back into my own history, still frozen in the center of the cell. As if I could see every choice that had made me who I was, led me to where I was, created the man I am. Yet the history that had led me to the cell was nowhere to be found in my recall. Despite the rush of memory, still a hole in my knowledge, as if I had been home one day, and woken up here the next. Or, more accurately, as if I had been going about a day, any random day in my life, of no particular significance, and between one blink and the next, I was within the cell. 

After an interminable amount of time, I began to explore the cell, finally finding my legs beneath me. Though the features of the cell were faded, worn by time, the cell door was pristine. Unyielding. A clear sign that I would not be leaving anytime soon. As I shook the bars of the cell door, causing as much of a racket as possible in a vain attempt to be noticed, to be freed, to be saved... a sudden wind brushed past me into the cell. Not the chilly drafts that had blown through the cell since I awoke, but a gentle breeze, skimming over my skin and encouraging me to turn and face away from the door, look back upon the room. 

Turning around, I saw much the same cell as I had before moving to the door. And yet, some things were out of place, disturbing the innumerable ages of dust, which was now glittering in the half-light from the cell window, floating around a number of items laying around the cell which had not been there before. 

The first I saw was my armor, returned to me by some luck of fate. However, it had been altered. Where once I wore a sleek and unblemished black leather from toe to torso, decorated only with a handful of bandoliers and straps with which to hold supplies and weapons, I saw a shimmering light wrapped around each piece of armor, each appearing touched by strong magical charms. My own facility with magic is rudimentary at best, and I found myself unable to determine exactly what enchantments had been laid upon each item. Although... thinking back on it, the shimmer of magic did not hold a static form, changing from brilliant green to pulsing red to deep blue every time my gaze shifted. In addition to the magical aura around each piece of my armor, I could see the pockets all filled with all manner of relics and artifacts, jewelry and coin, amulets and broaches, from all across history. Livery from the many holds of Skyrim were represented among various pins and patches, and peeking out from underneath the armor, just hidden by the glow of enchantment, I could see the ends of all manner of weapons. A hilt to a greatsword there, then gone in a pulse of light. The curve of a bow, a flash, then a glimpse of the head of a fiercely spiked mace. Unceasing, unsettling... never settling. Eventually the lights grew too bright, and I had to look away. 

When I turned my head, the brilliant light fading, I found a heap of ash in the place my armor had lain. Sifting around, I was able to dig out a few items from the debris. A broken road sign came first, scorched on both ends as if by powerful flame, so hot that it had left parts of the edges warped and drooping. Odd. I had not been under the impression that any natural fire could melt wood, come to think of it. All that I could make out of the sign were a few of the letters in the middle. Elger? No way to be sure. The next item to come out of the ash heap was a burned book. The pages within were completely ruined, not a scrap of text left to be read, but the cover was not entirely lost. There was not much I could tell of what the book had been, no sign of text on the cover or spine, but a raised embellishment upon the cover, in the shape of a diamond, with recesses and crevasses mottling the metal. Beneath the scorch marks and ash, a faint shine of silver could be seen. The last item I found within the ash was a simple pendant. A golden chain with a dangling amulet. Yet, again, I found the finer details indiscernible. For a moment I thought it to be a match to the diamond embellishment of the book, then I blinked and thought it perhaps looked more like a lavish gemstone as one might see decorating the throat of a wealthy socialite. Still another blink later and it could have been an amulet of reverence to any god. As I peered at the shifting charm, a new change to the cell came into focus in the periphery. 

A golden statue, nestled between the dusty table and the destroyed bookshelf, looking pristine and holy among the ruin of the cell. An idol of Mara, goddess of Love, kneeling on the stone floor, silently weeping golden tears. As I approached the statue, I heard a voice, a calm, almost motherly voice, disembodied and echoing in the chamber. " **Come to me, child. This is not your home.** " A wind whipped around me, spinning me in a circle. As I spun, I saw the ash heap and artifacts had disappeared, leaving the cell empty once more. Completing the spin, I fell to my knees, mirroring the golden figure before me. " **This is not your home. Your home is far beyond these walls, far beyond any walls.** " Visions filled my sight, and as I looked around once more, it seemed as if the cell had fallen away entirely, countless passageways extending endlessly in every direction. Down one, the hissing machinery and clockwork gears of a Dwemer ruin. Down another, an ancient stone fortress blanketed in snow. A sweeping vista, high atop a mountain, out the balcony of a finely decorated home. A dark cave, a forest glade, a long-forgotten barrows. The possibilities encircled me, enraptured me, and I could not make out any one path which seemed the correct to go down, and could not climb to my feet to choose anyway. " **You are destined for legend. And legend will find you whether you go looking or not. But you will look. You can no more help that aspect of your nature than you can keep yourself from breathing.** " At once, all the halls of fate exploded, ending in pinpricks of harsh light, growing larger by the second. In the briefest moment before the light overwrote my sight, I could see each point of light coalescing into wholly unique forms. A collection of swords and armor, jewels and trinkets, great artifacts of historical import, bursting in my vision, too fast and bright for me to tabulate the total number. Before I was blinded, I heard the goddess speak once more.

" **Pay close attention to the legends you are told, Solarm. The wounds of time heal slowly, and may look harsher in the bright light of day. But don't let looks deceive. Harsh though the light may be, it is only within the light that you can see. Bring the past to light. Shine light upon the scars for all to see. Ensure the mistakes of the past do not become the tragedies of the present, or the destruction of the future.** "

I awoke, blinking in the dim light of the ship's cabin. A quick discussion with the captain, terse and uninterested as they were, indicated that port is fast approaching, and we should arrive early morning. The great city of Solitude awaits. Home of the Imperial Army, of the splendorous Blue Palace, and of the newly renovated "Dragonborn Museum". I know little of Skyrim beyond these tidbits, beyond what was described to me by Auryen in his letter. I hope he can shed some light on what to expect in the region. And perhaps, even shed some light on that dream. But then again, perhaps not. Perhaps it is my burden to bear, my mystery to solve. And perhaps it was nothing at all. Nothing but the aimless dream of a sleep-deprived wanderer. Hopefully, some sleep can be had before we arrive at port, this time with less strange portent.

**Author's Note:**

> This work is part of an IRL challenge I've issued myself to practice fiction writing. For each in-game day I complete in my heavily-modded Skyrim game, I will complete a journal entry compiling the escapades of the day. The submissions to this series are not direct transcriptions of my written entries, but edited to hopefully provide a more descriptive and interesting vision of the world. 
> 
> I absolutely accept advice and criticism. I have no history of fiction writing, and am only starting now due to being inspired by the writings of my wife and best friend. Please let me know of any glaring mistakes or suggestions you may have via comments or direct message. 
> 
> As for the mods, I will make note in each end-note section as to what major mods are at play for each entry. 
> 
> "Sundas, 17th of Last Seed" is primarily based around character creation and table-setting within the "Alternate Start: Life Another Life" mod (link below). The chosen start for the save is to be sailing into Solitude on a ship, and accepting the choice to begin your playthrough as a Relic Hunter for the museum in the "Legacy of the Dragonborn" mod (link also below). The mod normally only consists of character creation, and speaking to the statue of Mara to choose your start. However, I use the framework of the "vision" to include some other symbols and events in order to act as passive reminders to my character to perform certain actions in the game. Of particular note is that the alternate start allows you to not experience the attack on Helgen (though it still happens, so I don't know what Alduin actually wanted there if not the Dragonborn--maybe he got confused and went after Ulfric, since he's a user of the Voice). One of the other major mods in my modlist is "Helgen Reborn", which allows rebuilding Helgen, among other things. However, you have to wait a while in-game to ensure Helgen is in the proper gamestate, so I wanted a written reminder to check for it before activating the full features of the mod. 
> 
> -Notable Mod Links-  
> Alternate Start: Live Another Life - https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/272/?  
> Legacy of the Dragonborn - https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/11802?  
> Helgen Reborn - https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/5673/?


End file.
